[backfilled on or after 25MAY01]
More than a week ago I promised to report back on two tiny experiments, one about reducing the number of RSS feeds, and the other about using a writing schedule.
The goal of The RSS Reduction Experiment was to make space for more writing by removing some feeds from my regular reading habit. That experiment has been a success. While I didn’t keep hard numbers, the number of articles and newsletters I peruse, skim, scan, or really read on any given day has reduced by 30-50%. I plan to continue evaluating this and reduce it further.
The goal of second, The Writing Schedule Experiment was to generate ideas by thinking on paper. I have to be honest, it’s been less successful.
[Insights added on 25MAY02] Actually, let me expand on that: when I kept the appointments, it was astonishingly useful writing. In the set time appointments, I generated ideas that astonished me. If I didn’t have the ability to keep the appointment, well, it’s unclear to me how successful it was. I think more of the writing that was captured in those moments is useful as input to later appointments; it is grist yet to be milled.
I like that milling analogy. Keeping it going: the milled grist (output of set sessions) will still need to be refined into some final product. That would be the bakery. Back to reporting on the experiments. [End of 25MAY02 insights.]
The first week went perfectly, I made 100% of my writing appointments. The next week was looser, and much more fragmented. I was traveling and the net results was that I made one 30 minute session, missed another one, and also didn’t complete an open-ended 30 minute goal on a third day. However, at the end of the week I am happy with the words I opportunistically got out. And more travel next week will make meeting specific appointments a challenge again.
What makes sense for continuing this experiment is adaptation. Next week I will set appointments on the two non-travel work days. On the travel days, I will make an effort to do some distributed yet intentional writing when I find time. What I mean is that when I find I have a reaction, or idea, or moment of quiet, I will attach the gesture of writing a quick note about it. Also, at the end of the day, I will review those notes and add any others as I mentally review the day. If I find myself with a few minutes, even if it’s just at the end of the day (or the beginning, for that matter), I will take a few minutes to write out some thoughts. No set time commitment, just write something that is more intentional than a note. Anything at all will do.
Stepping back to review, what other tiny experiments can I try? I don’t have any further tiny experiment pacts to propose at the moment, so I will continue to explore some organic searches for making a few things work best for me. I mean: always stay aware, follow the gradient of what’s working, and tirelessly just keep pulling on that thread. They’re in the fitness, food, and noting/thinking areas. I’ve done well with capturing thoughts in writing and use those as seeds for the writing appointments. Feels super nerdy to always carry around my little paper notebook and even more so when I actually use it, in public. But the ideas have been great, and fruitful, so I press on.
To Reply: Email me your tiny experiments.
Posted: in Notes.
Other categories: none.
Back references: none.
Tags that connect: [[rss]] Pacts, added photostream, About Page and Feed Added, Postcards section debut, Added Notes, Til Rss, Recordings Feed, Updates Rss, Added Rss; [[tiny experiments]] Pacts; [[writing]] Notes for the New Year, Ideas page update, Ideas page update.
Tags only on this post: none.